


Shadows of Malachor

by NyeLung



Series: Paradoxaverse [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Force Ghosts, Mace as a padawan, Mace's foul mouth, Mentions of Sex, annoying immortals, force ghost tea party
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2018-09-20 16:19:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9499841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NyeLung/pseuds/NyeLung
Summary: As Padawan of Master T'ra Saa Mace Windu becomes part of the one year long expedition to Malachor III, a planet that had been part of the Sith Empire during the Cold War. Since then the planet had been forgotten and turned into a home for a deadly fauna and flora. But in the shadows of Malachor III more and darker things are waiting...





	1. Chapter 1: Mother Nature

**Author's Note:**

> This has been part of a German project named "Daily drabbles" although I skipped the part with the drabbles and just used the 365 prompts to write a story with daily character. So, one year in the life of Padawan Mace Windu who really had a foul mouth back then. Trust me. And Force Ghosts. Lots of them.

# Shadows of Malachor

## Chapter 1: Mother Nature

### 55 BBY, Malachor III

Mace was overjoyed of finally having firm ground beneath his feet again. The captain of the _Nova Blade_ had brought them safely against all odds to Malachor III. Although Mace knew that the light yacht was sturdier than it looked but he hadn't completely trusted that impression. “Ladies and gentlebeings, this is your pilot Theron Beniko speaking. We reached our destination. We wish you a good day and possibly a good further journey. Please mind your package when leaving.”

No one really cared for the pilot's humour. The eleven Jedi of the expedition had better things to do. They grabbed their backpacks and took care to not destroy some of the expensive survival gear and meters they had been granted.

Knight Tahl lead the expedition to explore Malachor III. The last expedition of this kind had been even before the Cold War with the Empire of the Sith. It had been given up for unknown reasons and now the Jedi Knight had gotten the approval for this expedition and the necessary money. The only condition was that they would map the planet they explored. Their sponsors hoped for rare ores and minerals.

Theron Beniko was the one who knew the planet before. There was something about him that made Mace feel uneasy but he couldn't put his finger on it. Clearly, the pilot had been a smuggler before and Malachor III must have been one of his hideouts. There was no other reason why one would visit this jungle planet. But it wasn't the shadiness of the smuggler that upset Mace. It was something else, deeper inside. It was so essential for him that it defined his whole existence.

“We should make camp here and then start to explore”, determined Tahl.

Mace looked at their surroundings. 'Here' was a natural clearing. Near them he could hear water and around them the jungle lived. He couldn't sense any danger. Theron Beniko disagreed. “Two clicks north west from here is a plateau where we should camp.” He looked at the sky as though to control the sun's position. “In three hours this clearing won't be safe any longer.”

Master T'ra looked curiously at Theron Beniko. Mace knew this kind of look. Master T'ra might be a healer for most of the time but inside she still remained an archivist. “Why?”

Beniko seemed to know this kind of question as well. He just sighed and stroked exasperated through his short, black hair. “Because it is mating season for jungle wampas in this area and they meet on clearings like this to fight and mate.”

Kit Fisto's trandoshan master Slyss said in broken Basic: “Then we will stay here. Wampas earn many Jagganath points.”

Beniko murmured something like a cursed 'Trandoshans', sighed again and remarked: “You don't want to stay here. A friend of mine wanted a wampa rug and they tore him to shreds. And there are other creatures here. Trust me, you want to make camp on top of the plateau.” His voice was especially empathetic on the last words.

“Sold.” Tahl shouldered her backpack and marched in the direction Beniko had shown.

 

Beniko went first, Tahl right behind him. Master T'ra was fascinated by the nature here, stopped often but didn't halt the group. Mace was glad about his last growth spurt that made it easier to keep up with Beniko's strict pace.

Mater Slyss seemed to enjoy Malachor III already. He often tested the air in his nostrils and did some kind of purring sound afterwards. His padawan, Kit Fisto, trotted silently behind him. His lekku twitched with every noise of an animal as though he was scared.

Master Lantha Tanau murmured to herself while walking. From time to time Mace would catch names of plants. Contrary to his master Agen Kolar seemed unhappy with the situation. He was sweating a lot although it wasn't that hot if you asked Mace. Maybe a bit damp.

Mace knew Coleman Trebor, who was next in line. He and the Vurk had been in the same clan of younglings. Just like Mace he didn't seem bothered by the dampness of the air. That might be because their home planets had similar climate – just with oceans instead of jungle. Coleman's master was the archivist Hran Beling whom Mace had only seen from afar when his own master had forgotten about time in the archives.

The last were master Vyna Typho, another archivist, and his Padawan Shaak Ti. Mace pitied the young Togruta a bit. She couldn't be a Padawan for long, she was only eleven years old – he remembered having to take care of her youngling clan once as a punishment. She did her best to keep up with their pace but seemed exhausted already.

“We should make a little break”, Master T'ra suggested.

Theron Beniko seemed like he wanted to protest but then he let himself fall on a fallen tree instead, opened his flask and drank. “It's your problem if the fauna tears us to shreds before we are able to make camp”, he shrugged his shoulders. Shaak Ti looked as though he had punched her in the face. She knew the break was because of her. Instead of saying something she just squared her shoulders.

“It feels a lot like my time as a sprig on Myrkr”, master T'ra sighed. “Mother Nature is different here but no less beautiful or dangerous.”

“Mother Nature?”, Mace asked curiously. He was quite sure that master T'ra had never used this idiom before.

Master T'ra swayed two times before she answered. “It's an old expression of the Neti. The stories and legends about Mother Nature were an important part of my time as a sprig. They were told in the blowing of the wind, the rustling of leaves, the changes of day and night and the running water.” Her eyes glazed longingly in the distance. “It was our expression for the Force long before the Je'daii found Tython. We called it Mother Nature, that births all living and takes all dead back.” She sighed again. A giant butterfly landed on her hair, clapped its wings and took off again.

“I didn't know that”, Mace admitted.

“How should you?”, master T'ra laughed dryly. “I doubt there is even one entry about it in the archives. And you young Jedi all want to fight and prove yourself anyway.” She sighed heavily. “You forget how much there is still to learn and that there is nothing better than peace. You should be glad to never have seen the ugly face of war.”

In the background Theron Beniko nodded approvingly, capped his flask and controlled his blasters. “We should get going. From here on the terrain becomes more difficult.”

 

Beniko hadn't exaggerated. The terrain became more difficult and Shaak stumbled more than once before Kit Fisto helped her. With a little wink he lifted her backpack with the Force so that it didn't seem as heavy any longer.

After some time Fisto needed a rest and Coleman took over. Then Mace. He kept it up until they reached the plateau although it tired him out accordingly. He noticed the looks of the masters, but ignored them. They could have gotten the idea beforehand that it wasn't that clever to take an eleven year old Padawan on this expedition and expect her to take on the same workload as an adult.

The view from the plateau itself was breathtaking. The jungle surrounded them but the plateau was nearly empty. A few trees and rocks but overall unnaturally flat. One formation of rocks looked like a sitting person but Mace ignored that feeling. The sun sank in the west and they could see a red shimmer in the east. One of the lava rivers that sometimes reached the surface, Beniko explained.

“So, here we are.” A thunderous roar disrupted him. “And just in time. That was a chrysalide. Last time we ran into some and it was ugly.” Beniko's eyes searched the growing darkness then he nodded to himself. “We can build the camp tomorrow. This night fire and a night watch will be enough.”

“Vigil will be two persons each, so everyone has to do two hours.” Tahl picked up some sticks for their future fire.

“Wait a moment. The kiddos have to help with night watch?” Beniko seemed to doubt Tahl's sanity.

“Of course. That is part of our training”, master Tanau answered in Tahl's stead. “Our children aren't that pampered that they can't do their part.” Mace basically agreed with her but he had concerns about Shaak. She looked like she would keel over every moment.

Beniko shook his head and murmured a few things in his beard stubbles like 'cold hearted Jedi' and 'nothing changed after a thousand years'. “It's your decision”, he conceded. “But at least let the young one sleep this night. She can barely stand.”

With his words Shaak straightened her back although it was only possible for her with the help of the Force. “I can do my part”, she stated firmly.

Beniko threw his hands in the air and cursed one 'I give up' just as Tahl lightened the fire. “I'll take the first shift with the Noori here.”


	2. Big and small

## Chapter 2: Big and small

They had built up their camp. Four tents cuddled on the plateau against the strong wind of this day. In their midst they had a fireplace with stored cooking items, rations and water. Mace shared his tent with Agen Kolar and Master T'ra. Shaak Ti, Kit Fisto and Coleman shared another. Master Slyss, Master Tanau and Master Typho were in the third and Master Tahl and Master Beling shared the last one with Theron Beniko. Actually, Beniko had nearly shared the tent with Mace and Agen Kolar but Master T'ra had insisted to take his place. Mace guessed that the masters didn't trust him that much after all. He himself most certainly didn't although he still couldn't say why exactly.

After a quick breakfast that they all ate silently, Beniko took to explaining the deal with the scans. “The thing is pretty simple. We will have a station in this camp. Tahl and I will calibrate the machine. All of you will take one sensory package each. You strap it on and it will measure your coordinates relative to this station. It also takes scans of your surroundings and collects data of the ground.”

“So we search the area for hints on the Sith while the package does all the work? How heavy and sensitive is it?”, asked Master Typho who was eyeing the measuring station with a calculating look. Mace still felt in his bones that they all had carried parts of it on the plateau yesterday. Beniko had to have built it up over night.

Theron Beniko raised one package with a strap system. “This is your package. It's lightweight and relatively robust. Still, you shouldn't let a wampa chew on it.” His face didn't show anything but in the Force he darkened for a moment as though he held back an unpleasant memory. In this short time Mace could feel so clearly as though it had been written out for him that Beniko was often haunted by old, dark memories.

Master T'ra took the sensor package from Beniko's hand and strapped it on. “Do we have to wear it today already or how long does the calibrating take?”

 

Mace trotted behind Master T'ra through the jungle. It wasn't his first time during his training as a Padawan. Master T'ra preferred places like these for training. In most cases, she taught her lessons through the example of the jungle. Mace had learned deep inside the heart of tropic forests to feel his surroundings through the Force. Of course, he'd already learned it inside the Temple but it got infinitely more difficult if one was blindfolded and trying to go through the undergrowth.

Master T'ra halted on a clearing. They couldn't be further than one click beeline away from the plateau where Beniko and Tahl were calibrating the measuring station. “Do you remember when you became my Padawan?”, asked Master T'ra with a smile. “Our first mission was to a jungle planet like this and I taught you there. You were so small then.” Mace didn't particularly like to remember that time. The times when he hit a growth spurt weren't that nice to remember either. He'd always had to order new clothes from administration and his boots never really fit so he always stumbled.

“Master?”, Mace asked because he didn't understand what Master T'ra wanted to say.

“I have talked to the Council before this mission”, she answered, suddenly serious again. “You've grown so much, so beautifully. Your connection to the Force is steady. What I am trying to say is, that the Council allowed me to train you more intensely for your Trials.”

Mace could only look at his Master in stupor. What did she just say? “What?”, he asked hoarsely as he finally could use his voice again.

“After you found your lightsaber crystal your training went surprisingly fluid.” Master T'ra sighed quietly. “You were alone on that mission and I know that you learned an important lesson there. Maybe you'd have never learned it if I had been more stubborn and stayed with you.” Mace remembered how he acquired his crystal. It had been a present after he learned that he could so easily destroy yet only save with difficulty. “Anyway, the Council thinks you are ready to train for your Trials. You're only seventeen – or is it eighteen? - but I am sure that you will use this knowledge wisely. You shouldn't have forgotten your lesson about pride.”

“Seventeen”, Mace answered. Still shocked and hoarse. “And I didn't forget.” How could he?

“You've grown so mature, Padawan. I'm proud of you.” Master T'ra smiled tender and happily. Mace didn't often see her that way. She smiled often but mostly not with pure happiness. “And until you've completed your Trials, I will stand by your side.”

“Thank you, Master.” Inside Mace was still fighting for his balance. He was only seventeen and should already start to prepare for his Trials. He'd never heard of anyone starting so young. There was so much he still had to learn.


	3. Deceit

## Chapter 3 – Deceit

They had been in in the jungle all day. Mace was physically exhausted and really wanted to shower as though he still was in the Temple. That was always the first thing he missed – besides the beds – when they were away on a mission. Master T'ra told him then that he was spoilt. So it was more pride than actual power that kept him upright as he returned with Master T'ra to their camp and put his sensory package back to the other. Far too content with being back, he let himself fall to the ground to catch some much needed rest. He could eat later, possibly just one of the rations he kept in his utility belt.

“Oh, are those cards?”, he heard Master T'ra ask in this moment as she noticed Theron Beniko. The smuggler was placing cards on the improvised table in front of him and seemed to play alone. “That looks like Solitaire. Hasn't that been invented by soldiers on Ilum during the Cold War?”

Surprised, the smuggler looked up. “The game is still known? Yes, it is Solitaire although I highly doubt that soldiers on Ilum would have invented such a game where there's no schnapps to win. They've been to busy freezing their butts.” That was one of the reasons that Mace was glad he hadn't had to procure his lightsaber crystal on Ilum.

“I learnt the game when I was still a little sprout in the Temple. I hadn't hoped to ever meet someone who still knows the rules.” Master T'ra seemed delighted. “Master Beniko, you don't, by any chance, know other card games like Skat or Doppelkopf?”

Benikos gaze wandered off into the distance. “Doppelkopf and Skat … Haven't played both in a long time but I should be able to remember the rules more or less.” Mace felt something in the Force as though the long time Beniko was talking about was far more than one or two decades.

“That's wonderful. I've got friends in the Temple who still know the rules and I'm still teaching my Padawan but he's an acceptable player. Now, if we could find a fourth member we could play a round or two of Doppelkopf. It would be the first since quite some time.”

“That does sound wonderful indeed”, Beniko agreed with a small smile.

“Gambling, T'ra? How could you?”, Master Beling joined in. “I don't know the rules of Doppelkopf but I learnt Skat during my studies and I've been told that they aren't that different.” He smiled as he sat down next to Beniko. “Some bibulous smugglers in the Outer Rim thought they had to teach me.” Master Beling smiled fondly at some memory. “Too bad for them that the archivists of the Temple do have a certain favour for long forgotten games.”

“I can't provide alcoholic beverages. Those I'm saving for another time”, Beniko stated. “For the rest … well, test me.” He grinned while picking up the cards for solitaire and sorted through them until he held a full deck for Doppelkopf. “Who's our fourth man?”

Master T'ra glanced towards Mace and he sighed on the inside. Master, please don't. He was tired. “I suggest my Padawan. He hasn't trained for a while.”

 

After a few hours of playing, a ration and filtered water, Mace was all but rubbing his eyes in wonder. He was an acceptable player thanks to his training by Master T'ra, Master Fay and Master Kina Ha or Master Yoda who always enjoyed a few rounds whenever enough of them were in the Temple. Nevertheless, he was far behind in their ranking – even behind Master Beling who was new to the game. Of course, Skat and Doppelkopf shared a few similarities, but …

“Am I the only one at this table who doesn't cheat?”, Mace asked with a hint of exasperation.

Master T'ra did that often although far more inconspicuously. Mace blamed his tiredness for not noticing it earlier.

“Obviously”, Master Beling answered dryly and won the last trick for Beniko and himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Doppelkopf and Skat are German card games that involve lots of probabilities and special rules for each region of Germany. Look it up, it's fun.  
> And I totally believe that the Temple's archivists enjoy a bit of fun with long forgotten card games with absurd rules.


	4. Chapter 4: Lava

### Chapter 4: Lava

„What do you think, Padawan? Is the sensory pack able to analyse the minerals in the lava?” Master T'ra knelt beside one of the rivers of lava that flowed through the jungles of Malachor III. She was careful not to get to close, of course, because she was partially a tree and trees and fire had never gotten along well.

Theron Beniko was with them and was keeping watch because of the creatures on this planet. Mace was glad that they hadn't been involved in a fight so far. Until now he'd only heard the monsters or saw their shadows. Master Slyss on the other hand had attacked a chrysalide rancor, lost one eye and was wearing his left arm in a sling.

A low hiss was their only warning – where in the nine hells of Corellia was Beniko? Master T'ra turned abruptly around in sync with Mace to see a small group of awfully mutated K'lor slugs. They had the same greedy mouths with rows upon rows of terrifyingly big teeth but that was their only similarity to the real K'lor slugs on Korriban. These monsters glowed as though they had lava in their veins.

Accompanied by some obscene curses in a language Mace didn't know, Beniko broke through the undergrowth and caught the immediate attention of the monsters. “Oh, fierfek!”, he swore upon seeing the lava-slugs. His look wandered from the lava-slugs to something in his back and back again. “Run!”, he yelled after the first second of surprise was over.

The next moment, Mace could hear roaring. He'd heard it before in the last nights. Beniko had said that the chrysalide rancors roared that way and that the ancient Sith had imported them to Malachor to protect their graves. Mace heard the cracking sound of breaking trees and decided to follow Beniko's orders. There was another time for questions.

The three of them ran along the river of lava, the mutated slugs on their heels and further behind the still roaring rancor.

“How fast do we have to be to leave them behind?”, Mace asked between two breaths.

“Leave them behind?”, Beniko echoed and accelerated even further.

“So why do we run?”, Master T'ra questioned the wisdom of Beniko's decisions.

“Wampas.” Beniko accelerated just a bit more. Mace had never thought to ever meet a human that could run as fast as a Jedi.

“Wampas?” Weren't there already enough monsters?

“Just run!”

They reached a broad swathe that Beniko used to run further along. Master T'ra and Mace followed him after deciding that they were at a loss of options. Fighting with the rancor and the mutated beasts would inflict heavy injuries on all of them and that wasn't something they were keen on.

The swathe ended in a clearing where a horde of wampas was sleeping. Most were cuddling with each other in a gigantic pile but two heavy bulls stood watch. They noticed the three of them and started to growl. Then they spotted the rancor and the mutated K'lor slugs. Their roar for attack was enough to rattle Mace's teeth.

The slugs hissed, the wampas woke and growled and roared. The rancor tried to roar even louder. “And now”, Beniko whispered, “we stay very, very quiet and leave this battlefield.” As soon as he had finished that sentence the monsters started to tear at each other. Claws cut through air, spikes were pushed into flesh and most roars were dampened to a yowl.

Beniko ran ahead and showed the way through the fighting giants. In the last possible moment he evaded the thrown, ripped off tail of a slug that hit Master T'ra instead who had just ducked beneath a wampa's claws. The spikes stayed stuck in her shoulder.

 

Mace breathed in deeply as soon as they had left that clearing far behind and the jungle had returned to its normal sounds. Master T'ra let herself fall to the ground and changed her form a bit to inspect the wound on her shoulder. She breathed in with a hiss.

“Shall I cut it out?”, Beniko offered. “Could be venomous.”

“Could be? I thought you knew your way around here.” Mace didn't like the thought of his master being poisoned. Not at all.

“The last time I've been here there hadn't been geothermal beasts”, Beniko answered annoyed. “I hadn't expected to see them again after Oricon. Blasted Sith and their blasted experiments.”

“Oricon?” Master T'ra's interest was piqued. Mace couldn't place the name with anything he had learned so far but then, his Master was far older, wiser and far more knowledgeable than him. The next moment, Master T'ra groaned in pain when Beniko cut out the spikes and cleaned the wounds with something from one of his belt pockets. Metal was shimmering in the wounds.

“Terrible planet after the Dread Masters were done with it.” Beniko shuddered. While Master T'ra ripped off one of her robe's arms to turn it into a bandage, he inspected the spikes and licked one of them. “Hm, no, whoever imported these beasts, did not make them venomous.”

“We should tell the other about these – how did you call them? Geothermal beasts? – that there are geothermal beasts close to the lava rivers.”

Beniko nodded in approval. “And you should return to camp. You're not fit to fight with that wound.”


	5. Chapter 5: Vacation

### Chapter 5: Vacation

“Padawan, I think I'm ready for a vacation.”

Mace thought this remark of Master T'ra quite misplaced. After all, she had been wounded yesterday and was now allowed to stay in camp. Mace on the other hand had to join the team of Master Lantha Tanau and her Padawan Agen Kolar. They often competed during training and some of that tension was always tangible between them. At least, he explained his low level dislike of Kolar that way. “If you say so, Master.”

“Don't be moody, Padawan”, Master T'ra scolded him immediately. “I'd rather be in the jungle than sit here all day and watch over our equipment.” Carefully, she tested her shoulder. “But it looks as though I will have to stay patient. Even using the Force, this healing process will take time.”

“Forgive me, Master.” Mace hadn't thought enough. Of course, it was exhausting to be in the jungle all day – especially when fighting with Agen directly above a river of lava, but he would never admit to that – on the other hand it was still more interesting than sitting in the camp all day.

Master T'ra smiled weakly. It looked good on her. “You are forgiven, Padawan.” She gazed of the jungle's roof. “There is something with this planet, a darkness we first haven't felt. I thought it was only the ferociousness of the animals here but the darkness goes deeper and it influences us all.”

This was the moment Theron Beniko returned. He was unscathed, his clothes on the other hand could have been a nexu's favourite toy. “Darkness? And you only notice now?”, he scoffed.

“Master Beniko”, Master T'ra hastily stood up. Mace felt how she used the Force to check Beniko for wounds. “Did something happen?”

“Just the usual”, he blocked her concerns. His face turned into a grimace of discontent although Mace wasn't sure about his interpretation of the other's facial features. The mismatched eyes still threw him off. “And keep your Force tricks to yourself. It itches.”

Master T'ra's face betrayed her surprise. Mace didn't know what to think of it either. “It was not meant as an attack, please forgive me.” Master T'ra bowed slightly. “I am a healer and wanted to make sure that you weren't hurt because your clothes suggest something like that. You are the first, however, to notice my scan and describe it as uncomfortable.”

Beniko snorted derisively while he sat down next to one of their supply crates to search for a sewing kit. “I'm just very special – or maybe I'm the first not who's not too intimidated to tell you Jedi what I think.”

There was a lot of routine in Beniko's movements while he darned his clothes. Only now did Mace notice how often the shirt had been patched up already and actually only existed due to the fabric equivalent of pettiness. He wondered how someone as experienced and good at fighting – and running – like Beniko could get hurt so often. No, he didn't get hurt. It all just seemed to faze him as though he wasn't part of this world – unlike his clothes. Mace also wondered about Beniko's statement. “Why should someone be afraid of Jedi?” After all, they protected people.

“Did you ever see yourself fight through the eyes of a non-Force-User?”, Beniko countered with another question. He didn't seem surprised by Mace asking. “You may call yourself the guardians of peace and whatnot but in your essence you are fighters and kill without problems. Think about it.”

Mace wanted to say something, to protest but couldn't find a fitting answer. Master T'ra seemed to genuinely contemplate Beniko's words and Mace took this as a hint to follow her example. If he ever wanted to be as wise and experienced as she was, then he should better start now.

Beniko stood up and stretched in a way that made his joints crack. “As soon as this job is finished, I deserve a vacation. Rishi or somewhere in that corner. Tropical beaches, nice ale and no Sith.”


	6. Legendary

### Legendary

“Why are we really here?”, Agen Kolar asked during lunch break while Master Tanau was out of hearing reach and Theron Beniko nowhere to be seen. “Your Master is always so well informed, Windu. Did she tell you something?”

Mace shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know more than could be found in the archives. “We're just following up on an old expedition. That's all.”

“But it's been three and a half thousand years. The Council would never put so many Masters on mission for something like that?” Kolar had put his opinion in stone and wouldn't be swayed easily now.

“Well, there's been rumours that the old expedition had been interrupted because of Sith but I guess that's more the stuff of legends.” At least that was what Mace had heard while eavesdropping on Master T'ra and Master Kina Ha.

“That's what you've been told?” Like a shadow Beniko appeared behind Mace. It was creepy how good Beniko was at going around stealthily and hiding in the background noises of the Force. “The Sith were here. There's enough reports about it – and even more rumours about all the artefacts that got lost around here.”

“A smuggler knows about that, of course”, Kolar quipped.

“Well, of course.” Beniko professionally ignored the provocation. “And, of course, I would never be so stupid as to fool around with Sith artefacts. That never works out.”

“A smuggler with common sense. I'm impressed.” Mace was starting to feel lucky to never have been at the receiving end of Kolar's sharp remarks. He swore to himself never to end up there. The cutting sarcasm of Mater T'ra was enough.

“Oh please, Padawan Kolar.” Now Beniko accepted the challenge and used the most condescending tone Mace had ever witnessed. “Every smuggler worth his salt knows the story of Nico Okarr and how he ended.” Beniko shuddered involuntarily. “He experimented with artefacts to prolong his life – they did – but his death was truly horrifying. At least that's what people say.”

“Nico Okarr?”, Mace asked because he didn't know the name.

“Are you trying to tell me you never heard about the legendary Nico Okarr? The most famous smuggler during the Cold War? That guy who was a better pilot than Hylo Visz?” Beniko sounded incredulous. “What are they even teaching you in the Temple?”

“Hylo Visz is ringing a bell.” Mace roughly remembered the name from his history lessons but he had never given them as much attention as Master T'ra would have liked. “Wasn't she the smuggler who broke the Mandalorian Blockade?”

“That's the one although she pulled a few other stunts, smugglers of today wouldn't be able to repeat. She was just as much of a legend as Nico Okarr and while she broke through the Mandalorian Blockade, he was able to run from invasion forces of the Sith Empire and saved the future Grandmaster of the Jedi Order and the future Supreme Commander of the Republic's army.” He sighed. “Too bad they don't teach you about the Cold War any longer. There's a few lessons to be learnt from those times.”

“And a simple smuggler knows so much more”, Kolar scoffed.

“Obviously.” Beniko unconcerned shrugged his shoulders. At least I know that Malachor Three held more or less cult status among the most powerful Sith of the old times. It's said that some of the most powerful Sith during the Cold War built their tombs here.”

“But the rumours about the Sith started even before the Cold War.” Mace frowned. He was missing something here and it wasn't only something about Beniko.

“No one said that the Sith didn't like this place beforehand as well.” Indifferent Beniko rinsed down a ration pack with some filtered water. “There are some truly terrifying stories about Malachor Three and why no smuggler or adventurer was able to steal the Sith-artefacts that are supposed to be here.”

“What stories?”, Mace asked before thinking the better of it.

“Oh, the usual. I met a man once in a cantina on Tatooine. He's lost both legs and one ear.” Beniko changed his posture into something more comfortable as though he had only waited to start the horror stories. “He drank half of the bar before he would even start to tell me about the tombs. What he said then... Well, it was hard. Ghostly yowling in the valleys where the tombs lie and endless monsters guarding them.”

“Master Beniko”, Master Tanau interrupted after she had just finished her perimeter round. “That's enough.”

“I didn't even start, Lantha.” Beniko smiled a half-grin. Mace wondered why he would address Master Tanau by her first name and decided then that he really didn't want to know.

“That's only stories you pilots tell each other in boring times. We are here to search for the truth within the legends.”

"Of course, Lantha.” Beniko still smiled but now there was a hint of silent amusement in it as though he knew something no one else did.


	7. I'll stay with you forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect the first Force ghost to show up this early. Well, the tea party's not starting for some time. I guess.

### I'll stay with you forever

Mace could have thought of better partners while Master T'ra was still in camp for recuperation. Some part of the wound had become infected and resisted classic Force healing techniques. Now Mace was stuck with Master Tanau and Agen Kolar. Why did it have to be Kolar? He sighed and adjusted his speed to match the others. They were so much slower than Master T'ra and Beniko when he decided to tag along. Mace was beginning to miss that man. He would be better company than Kolar who always seemed insistent on one-upping him.

Well, Mace remembered too well the time when he had been exactly like that. Competitive to a fault and never content unless he'd won. Master T'ra's training had helped him to become calmer – not calm enough, though, to be above Kolar's provocations.

Kolar had taken to using Force enhanced jumps through the tree tops to cover more ground and he was trying to always be a bit higher than Mace. It was stupid, it really was, but Mace couldn't help himself but rise to the challenge and force Kolar to go higher than was safe for him. It was a dark impulse that made Mace do it and yet, although he knew that what he was doing was wrong, he just couldn't stop himself.

While he was running and jumping, he was fighting against himself. It wasn't the first time, Mace reminded himself. He had fought against his darker impulses time and time again during his training. He could do it one more time – and more again. He forced himself to jump to the lower, sturdier branches and ignored Kolar. The Zabrak was younger than him and still tried to prove himself. There was no need to compete against him. After all, Master T'ra had said that Mace was nearly ready for his trials and he wouldn't risk it for-

He slipped. Embarrassingly, Mace slipped on a wide branch and fell. He could catch his fall with the Force but still pounded into the ground with the force of a roaring Bantha. At least he didn't hurt himself was all he could think before the ground started to crumble and he fell even further, this time with earth trying to drown him.

This time, Mace hit the ground hard. He hadn't been able to concentrate properly – who would have been? – and therefore slammed on whatever was down here. As fast as he could, he stepped to the side before more earth came rushing down.  
When the last clumps had fallen, Mace stepped back into the shaft that had appeared now. He wasn't sure how far he had fallen but the hole above his head was only a small circle against the darkness of the shaft walls.

“Padawan Windu?!”, someone called from above. The voice sounded strange, muffled by lots of earth but he guessed that it was Master Tanau.

“I'm alive”, he shouted back. Something moved and Mace shivered. He could feel something awakening, something old. Slowly, he was starting to doubt that he would stay alive.

“Stay there!”, Master Tanau shouted down. “We'll get a rope down to you and get you up.” That was when he heard the roar. It came from above, so it wasn't an immediate danger for him, for Master Tanau and Kolar on the other hand. “Oh fracking Sith hells!”, he heard cursing. “Windu?! You stay there! We're going to get help! Just -” A scream. “Stay alive!”

Mace didn't answer. There was something moving, slithering along the ground where he stood. He forced himself to calm down. There was no danger when he wasn't in its way. It was only an animal and although it had soaked up the darkness of the planet it wasn't dark. It didn't care about him.

He started to breathe more evenly. He wasn't here. The Force was his ally and it guided his steps away from the slithering animal. He didn't make a sound, his heart was beating as slow as he could, his blood pulsed only sluggishly in his veins. It was nearly a trance with the sole difference that he could still act.

His thoughts only stopped to race when he had brought some distance between himself and the unknown animal – he didn't dare to ignite his lightsaber in case it would enrage the animal. He was in some kind of tunnel system. He could feel a breeze coming from somewhere and going through the hole he had ripped into the ground. The air was warm, so there was possibly more lava around here. He had to tread carefully.

“Shoo!”, he suddenly heard a voice. “What are you now?” A pause. “Just as I thought. I'm never again letting Acharon anywhere near my tomb. He always puts you poor things down here.” A sigh. “And I should have a stern talk with him about modifying Sith wyrms. He never gets you things right. Tell me, are you in pain?” Another pause. “I thought so. Here, go to sleep. This is no place for you.”

Mace didn't dare to breath. He didn't know what was going on, he couldn't see anything - but a person down here? He must have breathed in some hallucinogenic gases.

“Huh, that hole is new”, the voice remarked. “My tomb's condition is getting worse and worse.” Another pause. “Who is there?”

The person had noticed him. Mace cursed inwardly but did his best not to show anything outside. Instead he gripped his lightsaber tight and waited.

“Vowrawn, I swear, if this is another of your pranks...” The voice turned annoyed and became louder. The speaker was moving towards him.

“Halt!”, Mace yelled and tried to sound as stern as he could. “Don't come any closer. I'm a Jedi.”

“You're a Jedi?” The voice was delighted. “Surprise, me too. Now, who are – Mace Windu?”

Mace wasn't sure what surprised him the most. That the speaker was glowing in a faint blue light or that she knew his name. “Who are you? And how do you know my name?” He was pretty sure that the woman was a Force ghost. But how did she know him?

“Oh my. I didn't think you were always this serious.” The woman smiled. “Well, a few millennia as a ghost put things into perspective. Sit down, the Sith wyrm is dead and – wait, you fell down that hole, right? Now let's just hope that my wife doesn't hear about it. She's a bit stern when it comes to my tomb, wants it to be perfect and all. It's pretty cute.”

Mace blinked surprised. He wasn't sure what the ghost was talking about but maybe he should really sit down and hope for a clear answer. “So, erm … “ He hesitated. “Who are you again?”

“Right. Excuse me. I just get so rarely visitors these days... I'm Imarré, former Knight of the Order and a few other titles. I think I forgot half of them already.”

“And you are a ghost.”

The woman laughed. “You are as observant as ever. I missed that.”

“How do you know me?” This woman, Imarré, was beginning to confuse him. What kind of name was that anyway? Mace had no idea where it could hail from.

“That's a simple question with a very simple answer and yet it is very difficult to answer for now.” Imarré smiled again. “Let's just say I knew you a long time ago in the future. A long time.” She stood up. “Now, I guess you want to leave this tomb with all limbs intact? This isn't really mine. It belonged to someone else before but Debruha wanted me to have one and when I died there was this massive war going on so she cleaned this one out and buried me here.”

Mace followed the ghost closely but wary. She seemed nice, in a way, but she spoke also like she had forgotten how it felt to be alive and Mace didn't want to learn the hard way that she forgot that people can't fly.

“Careful, there's a trap here. Just jump a few feet forwards.” A pause. “And mind your head. She's put a few rancor skulls there.”

Mace did as she said. In the light of his blade he couldn't see any trap mechanism, though. “Was there really a trap?”

“Of course. I may have been a Shadow but I'm a terrible liar. I would let you ask the smuggler who fell in a few centuries back but he's not here at the moment.”

“Wait”, Mace said. “How many ghosts are here?”

The woman laughed heartily. “In this tomb? Only me with the sporadic visitor now and then. On this planet? I'm not sure. A few come and go but a few valleys north you can find most of the Dark Council from my time. One of them thought it hilarious to have them all buried close to each other so they can continue annoying each other in the afterlife.” She laughed again. “He didn't plan for being buried here, too. I wish I could have seen his face but he died before me.”

“But this is a Sith planet.” Mace was slowly gathering his thoughts again. “Why are you buried here? And you said you were a Jedi? How could you be married?”

“Oh, this planet has housed Force users long before the Sith ever existed. This tomb once belonged to an overlord of an aquatic species. They died when the seas dried but you can still find their fossils around here. The Sith just started to like it. If you ask me, they all just have a thing for volcanoes and lava, not that any of them would admit to it.”

“But... but why are you here?” This woman was confusing, very confusing and it made Mace's head spin.

“That's a long story -” That was when Mace stumbled and fell forwards into a bigger hall that was dimly lit by some elusive, greenish light. “Ah, here we are. You see that? That's my sarcophagus. And to answer your question, well, one of them anyway, you should read that.”

Mace followed her, not feeling sure about the whole crypt thing he had stumbled into. She pointed towards her sarcophagus – maybe there still was her body lying inside and wasn't that a strange thought – to the top of it where Mace could make out etched lines. Carefully, he stepped onto the pedestal with the sarcophagus, all the time waiting for a trap to kill him and the possible Jedi laughing madly and showing herself as a Sith. He didn't trust her a bit.

Nothing happened. Instead he found himself standing above a sarcophagus made from some kind of stone he hadn't seen on Malachor before – and he guess that he'd seen a few of them already during their trips into the jungle – and with the etching visible in the strange light. Maybe it came from the mushrooms? He'd have to investigate later. First, there was this strange epitaph – at least he guessed it was an epitaph because he couldn't read it. He could see where the symbols had been put and they were likely to mean the same letter but he couldn't even guess which language it was.

“I can't”, he admitted and took a step back. Standing next to a sarcophagus while its inhabitant was hovering next to him and talking to him was making him uncomfortable – Mace didn't want to admit that it was creeping him out, frankly said.

“Right, they wouldn't teach Old Sith any longer – or its alphabet. Forgot about that. Spend a few years with Sith ghosts and you just pick it up. I knew the newer Sith languages even before then but Vowrawn only writes in the really ancient runes and … I'm rambling. Anyway, my wife wrote it down. It should roughly translate to ' _I'll stay with you in the nights where the stars shine bright and I would lay them down at your feet if they were as eternal as my love for you. I'll stay with you in the nights when the stars have gone and I would wrap you in darkness if it was as soft as my …_ er, let's not get to that part. She's basically saying _I'll stay with you forever and kark everyone else_. That's why I'm here.” She shrugged with her shoulders. “It was all very romantic.”

“But you're a Jedi. You said so. How can you be married?” Mace still didn't get it. He was, however, starting to get her problem with his questions and his problem with her answers. She didn't understand the point Mace was trying to make.

“Sure as the Force wasn't my idea”, she answered. “You want to be heading that way now. You still want to leave, right? I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of some … sane company but I think you still have things to do.”

Mace just nodded and was glad that he could leave the sarcophagus cave behind. “You still haven't answered.”

The ghost woman scoffed. “Well, we were about to die and we've been lovers long before then so she said we should just get married and … yes, we were about to die and I said yes. Actually, we didn't expect to make it out of there. She did. I didn't.”

“You were married to a Sith?”, Mace finally connected the pieces.

“Oh yes.” The Force ghost laughed. “I was. Kind of unconventional but the war... the war against Revan, put things into perspective. I mean... oh man, it's been a long time since I last told this story. We got to know each other on Korriban where we were both apprentices. She became an apprentice to a Sith lord. I ran away with a Jedi and became a Shadow. Well, we met a lot of times after that, fell in love, then came the whole stuff with Revan's revenge and we really hit it off. Things happened.” Imarré bubbled with laughter. “We weren't the only ones, mind you. Should have seen the Grandmaster.” She laughed harder.

Mace most sincerely did not want to even entertain the thought of a Sith Lord and a Jedi Grandmaster getting it on. Most certainly not.

“This is your exit, by the way. Take the stairs and then head north west. He mentioned that you have your camp around there.” Imarré pointed towards a stair case Mace hadn't noticed until she said that it was there.

“He? Who is he?”

Imarré chuckled nervously. “Oh, no one. No one in particular. Force ghost. We have our ways of knowing things. Now, shush, hurry back to your friends.” She put a finger to her lips. “Oh, and I would love if you would not mention anything about me or my tomb – not unless they find it on their own. I would enjoy some more days before they are swarming around here and getting dirt everywhere. Oh dear, how am I going to explain that to my wife?”

She didn't seem to take any more notice of Mace, so he hurried upstairs – it took a while – and breathed in fresh air again and welcomed the last glimmer of sunlight. Which meant that the time was coming for the wampas to be out – and other creatures. He should hurry. Maybe find a high tree or something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo...  
> Imarré is a not-exactly-well-not-actually-OC from Paradoxa but actually also a canon character and her story "The Shadow" tells more about who she was before she took the name Imarré.  
> Debruha is obvs her Sith wife and, well, she's also gonna get a story when I can start to write it. Until then she's also appearing in "The Shadow". Obviously.  
> Yes, Imarré is hinting at Satele and Darth Marr and I've still got to finish that OS. Let's just say that it's gonna be long and juicy when I'm done with it.


	8. Chapter 8: Imprisoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone has it out for Mace and it's not the strange Force ghost Imarré. Though she might just get him killed by accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be a lot of Force ghosts in this chapter and the next and till the end of the story, I fathom.

### Imprisoned

Mace's eyebrows twitched with irritation. It was only the eighth day on this Force forsaken planet and the second day in a row that he fell into a tunnel system because the ground just. Mysteriously. Vanished beneath him. He groaned and got up. Yesterday, he could somehow explain his mysterious absence and self-rescue from the tunnels he had found. Yesterday, he could explain that he couldn't remember the exit and therefore entrance. Now, a second time? That would be harder.

Mace looked up. He could be wrong but he guessed that he had fallen even deeper than the last time. Then he should hope that there were no strange creatures here this time. Hopefully also no Force ghosts. As nice as Imarré was, she was also creeping Mace out. She should be dead, a part of the Force, not walking around and complaining about dead Sith Lords releasing beasts in her tomb.

Mace sighed and patted down his robes to get the earth crumbs out of it and check for any broken bones or fractures he might have missed. Fortunately, everything was alright. “Now, where to go?”, he mumbled to himself.

“I think you should go ahead.”

Mace turned around so sharply that he nearly ripped out his spine. “What are you doing here?” Imarré was back. He wasn't sure yet how to feel about that.

“This is still my tomb, Windu. The question is, what are you doing here?”

“Somehow”, he stretched the word, “the ground vanished beneath my feet. Again.”

Imarré snorted. “I have no idea how that happened but since you are here, you can just as well train. And clean up.”

“Clean up? Train?” Mace was confused.

“You must be just short before your trials, right? You should train a bit more to become the best fighter the Jedi Order has ever seen.” Imarré shrugged her shoulders and ghostly robes rustled with the movement. “I've always looked up to you.”

“How?”, Mace asked and he had the sneaking suspicion that it had to do with her mysterious answer from yesterday. “We never met before yesterday.”

“Told you. Long time ago in the future. With time you will understand. The Force is not a river, it's an ocean. Just like time.” She waved her hands forward. “Now, go. You want to become better? You want to beat your trials? That direction. Or I could just show you out again. Your choice.”

Mace wasn't sure. The Force ghost knew a lot about him and that made him uncomfortable. On the other hand, his Master was incapacitated for the near future and Master Tanau had enough to do training her own Padawan. What bad could come out of it if he took his chance for training here from a former hero of the Order?

 

A lot, he found out soon after. They had reached a deep cave that wasn't even part of the tomb any longer. Then the way behind them had collapsed. Then he had realised that he wasn't alone in the cave and the only other exit was blocked by a large creature. He was imprisoned here with a Force ghost and a rather big, rather terrifying creature that made him shiver when he touched it in the Force.

“Alright, this is not exactly how I imagined this to happen... Anyway, please kill that thing. It's a twisted abomination of the Force.”

“What?”, Mace hissed in the hopes of not waking said thing up.

“It's a terentatek and I can't fight this thing. It absorbs Force users and I'm barely more than a projection in the Force.”

“But I'm also a Force user”, Mace protested.

“Well, smartass. You got a lightsaber unlike me.” Imarré smiled. “And isn't the Force your ally and a powerful ally it is?”

Mace did wonder for a short moment how someone from the Cold War could quote Master Yoda and then decided that he probably would only get that same confusing answer again. A long time ago in the future.

“Aim for the eyes. They are its weak points. Any of the eyes. Stab through the eyes into the brain and it's done.” Imarré shrugged her shoulders. “The hide absorbs any Force powers, so just use the Force to help yourself and don't use it against the terentatek.”

“This is supposed to be training?” Mace still tried to be quiet and even more so when the giant head rose a bit of the ground and a nose started sniffing.

“I killed many terentateks when I had to hide in the jungles of Dromund Kaas for a month. And gundarks. And a lot of other very dangerous creatures. I'm sure you can handle a single terentatek, Mace Windu.” Imarré smiled warmly. “Now go and fight, while it is still sleepy.”

And Mace did. He spun around in the air, evaded clawed paws that would shred him to pieces and a mouth full of sharp teeth. He held his lightsaber steady in his clammy hands and tried his best to reach the vulnerable eyes before it would get him. He hurt it and it hurt him, scratched him square across his chest. They were both bleeding, black blood of the terentatek mingling with his own red on the floor that was illuminated by ghostly fungi and the light of Imarré's apparition.

Mace breathed heavily, standing across the terentatek while they both tried to catch their breath, waiting for the other to do the next move. It raised one of its big paws and Mace saw an opportunity. The Force showed him how to run, how to jump, how to move to evade the hit that would otherwise have instantly killed him. He thrust his lightsaber forwards, right into one of the eyes, felt the impact on bone and how it sunk deeper into the head of the terentatek.

Then he slammed against the snout of the beast with his whole body, the lightsaber still in his hands and in the head and the terentatek opened its mouth to a silent scream before it toppled over.

“See? Training. I knew you could do it.” Imarré applauded. “And now I better show you out and back to camp, so you can get those wounds looked after.”

 

 

That night he was too tired to explain anything to Master T'ra Saa. He knew that she guessed at something. No one just vanished two days in a row and this time he was even hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terentateks are evil, so I love to pit Jedi against them.


	9. Candy

### Chapter 9 – Candy

Mace was groaning when he finally reached the bottom of this day's fall down a sudden hole in the ground. He'd even gone in a completely different direction this time and had even bothered with trying to stay close to Master Tanau. It hadn't helped.

Once again he found himself in a tunnel of some kind and he couldn't even bring himself to feel surprise any longer. This was the third time in as many days and slowly he was beginning to think that someone was toying with him. Maybe even this Imarré, strange as she was. After all, she always appeared whenever he had fallen down.

“You're back”, she announced herself just now and seemingly confirmed Mace's suspicions. “More training? I can think of a few more lessons.”

“No”, Mace answered firmly. He was still sore from yesterday and his wounds hadn't completely healed yet. “Just show me the way out, please.”

“Huh, considering that you always show up here, I wouldn't have thought that you wanted to leave already.” Imarré seemed disappointed in a way. “But, you know, you could just use one of the many entrances?”

Mace sighed. “I'd prefer that but somehow the ground just keeps vanishing beneath my feet.”

Imarré hummed in thought. “That's strange. It seems as though someone is toying with you.”

“And you would know nothing about it,” Mace asked warily.

“Do you think I like it that you keep demolishing my tomb?” Imarré laughed. “Alright, I don't care that much for it but my wife does and I would rather see her happy.”

“Who would do it then?”

Imarré laughed again. “Pick a number. This planet is housing a lot of Force ghosts. Can you imagine the boredom one feels after a few thousand years?”

Mace could not. He also did not want to experience it, most certainly not. “Why become a Force ghost then?”

“Oh, I think most of us didn't think that far. I certainly didn't.” She laughed. “And I must say that I enjoyed it for a time, just being able to look and not having to save the galaxy. Such adventures sound far better in a holomag than in real life, trust me. But then I noticed that it's very hard to keep track of where and when I am, the further I went away from my body. I got lost a few times. You'd be surprised what the world was like twenty thousand years ago.”

“You became a Force ghost by accident?” Mace had actually never read up on Force ghosts, mostly because he had thought them a legend, nothing real. Now he stood corrected and wished that he had prepared better for this planet.

“No, no, you can't become a ghost by accident. I think. It was a decision. I wanted to teach my knowledge to others. Didn't think that I would be buried far off and that it would take me so long to understand how this whole ghost thing worked.”

“Your knowledge.”

“Come on, I saved the galaxy. There's a lot people could learn from me.” Imarré laughed. “But you just wanted out, right? Not listen to my life.”

“I … “ Mace hesitated. Imarré seemed to have lead an interesting life. “You could tell me a bit while you show me out?”

 

“And then I was knighted although Kaden still didn't trust me... Wait, this is new.” Imarré stopped her story and looked around. “I hope you are not skittish when it comes to giant insects?”

Mace didn't like this new direction.

“I can't remember to have had Kinraths in my tomb but I'm always open to corrections.”

“Kinraths? Didn't they belong to Dantooine?” Mace was pretty sure that he had heard that the archives on Dantooine had been given up because of an infestation with Kinraths and other insects.

“My fellow ghost colleagues had a lot of time to genetically cook up a lot of different species.” Imarré sighed. “Don't let Sith ghosts become bored. They try to recreate all those experiments from millennia past.” Then she laughed. “They blew up Thanaton's tomb once. He was so not amused.”

“What about the Kinraths?”

“Oh, they are just blocking the only exit in the close vicinity.” Imarré floated around. “We will have to go through them unless you want to walk back and then a few clicks to the East.”

Mace gripped his lightsaber. He could do this. Kinraths were just very big bugs with sharp claw-like teeth.

“Hm, you could of course fight”, Imarré said then, looking sceptically at him.

“I can't negotiate with them, can I?” Mace blinked. “Or can I?” Who knew what Sith Force ghosts had done to the bugs.

“What? No.” Imarré laughed. “But you can always trick them. Their eyesight is worse than a Miraluka's.”

“And how do I trick them?”

“You won't like it.”

 

Mace didn't like it.

“Just think of it as a candy,” Imarré supplied helpfully.

Doubtful, Mace looked at the Kinrath scent gland in his hand. It was sticky but that's where the similarities ended.

“Better, don't think about it at all.”

“And what do I do now?”, Mace asked, trying to ignore the sticky thing in his hand.

“Now you just walk straight through their nest. You smell like them, so they will accept you.”

“I do what?”

 

He was shivering from nerves after he left the tomb. Imarré had left him to walk through the nest alone, saying that her presence could disturb the bugs. Mace was breathing heavily, trying to calm down. This had been the most unnerving thing he ever experienced. All the time he had thought that they would notice the deception. They had all smelled him, tested him with their front legs and whenever they came close, he held his breath in anticipation and fear.

Mace looked around for the plateau where their camp was. Hopefully it was close enough to be seen without having to climb one of the trees.

It was.

Tired and still shaking, Mace made his way to the camp. He should add Kinraths to their list of beasts found on Malachor III. It was already a long list and Mace was sure that it would become a lot longer still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise to tell you in the next chapter who is toying with Mace.


	10. Orb of Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might hold a bit of my twisted humour.

### Chapter 10 - Orb of glass

Mace had decided against walking with Master Tanau this time. He had also decided against walking alone since that hadn't been helping him either. So this time he followed Master Vyna Typho and his Padawan Shaak Ti. Well, mostly he watched Ti's back since she was so young and inexperienced.

They found a river, not a lava one, a real river. Shaak Ti knelt down in the sand and held a sensor into the water to check its properties. Maybe another team had already found this river and then they could cross check their results.

“Oh, look at that“, the Padawan exclaimed and gestured at the colourful sandy shore of the river. “It's not sand. Look!“

Mace took a closer look. Indeed, it wasn't sand. Instead he saw millions of tiny, more or less transparent orbs of glass that were shining where the river's waters had made them wet.

“It's beautiful”, she said and let her hand run through it.

It was indeed beautiful, Mace thought. He wouldn't have taken notice of it usually, but now that Shaak Ti had pointed it out, he couldn't miss it. He knelt down as well to get a better look. The glass had been ground down into this small, tiny marbles. There were colourless ones and white, some were green and blue, some red, some yellow. Mace wondered where they came from. What had produced these amounts of glass shards that they had been ground down and carried upon this river's shore?

“I think we should ask Master Typho to follow the river.” Padawan Ti looked at it and at the shore in awe. She had let herself be caught with its beauty and Mace had to admit that he wanted to do the same. The last days, heck, every day since he came here, had been a trial of sorts. This was the first moment that he could appreciate the beauty of this place without being in any imminent danger. The only thing he felt was a distant premonition of danger from beneath.

“But first... You know, I'm curious. Master Tanau said you always disappeared the last days. Well, not to me, of course. But I hear things.” She smiled weakly. “It's not just bad luck, is it? I can feel that there's something happening to you.”

Mace snorted. “You'd be surprised.” He didn't say more. Somehow he felt that Imarré and his so called training should stay a secret for now. “You should go and ask your Master. I'd like to see where the glass comes from, too.”

Padawan Ti nodded eagerly and got up to get Master Typho. Mace followed her more slowly until the distant premonition became far more urgent.

He stopped in his tracks and looked around, hand at his lightsaber and searching for more clues in the Force.

There were none until, suddenly, the ground gave in beneath him and he once again found himself falling into the darkness.

 

This was getting ridiculous, Mace thought. Tenth day on planet and the fourth day in a row that he would fall into a tunnel system for no good reason. This was no coincidence, it wasn't Imarré. It had to be another presence on this planet.

“Alright, I get it”, he spoke into the stale air. “You think, you're funny.”

“No”, the air answered as a blue ghost materialized in it. “I think I'm hilarious.”

“What are you?” This was not Imarré. It was another ghost. How many Force ghosts could there be in one place? Mace had the bad feeling that he was going to find it out.

“Now, that is terribly rude, don't you think?” 

Mace raised one eyebrow while taking in the appearance of the ghost. He was a man in his early thirties with prominent face tentacles and bony eyebrow-stalks. His clothing was that of warrior and Mace didn't have to be a genius to know what was standing before him. This was a pureblooded Sith Warrior of ancient times. “Who are you?”, he corrected himself and tried to tone down the annoyance.

The ghost laughed. “Just a friend of Imarré's. You seem to have piqued her interest so I couldn't resist and had to poke you a bit. Just to have a look at what kind of person you are.”

“So, what did you find out?”

“Ah, youthful arrogance.” The ghost shifted into the form of a much older man, now less of a warrior and yet still deadly if provoked. “And I was right. You are interesting.” Now a grin with sharp teeth, youthful again, just nearing adulthood. It seemed the ghost was less in control of his appearance than Imarré. “I must say I'm glad that I looked into the shift in the Force in Imarré's tomb. Would have been a shame if that boring old guy Marr had found you first.”

“That's good, I guess.” Mace wasn't sure what to make of this guy. “But you still haven't answered my question. Who are you? After you watched me for some time I guess I am allowed to know your name, am I not?” Mace wouldn't admit it but he was proud that he remembered some of the lessons Master T'ra had taught him about diplomacy.

“Oh, but of course.” The ghost laughed. “I'm Darth Vowrawn of the Dark Council. Well, formerly, of course, since I'm dead now.”

“You're a Sith.”

“Clever boy.” The ghost – Vowrawn? – laughed again. “And you're a little Jedi Padawan and have never met a Sith before. Don't you worry, I'm not gonna harm you.”

Mace blinked in confusion. If this was a Sith, he was very different from what the legends depicted.

“Oh come on, what good would it do, if I killed you? I'd die of boredom all over again. Nonono, I won't kill you. Knowingly. Anyway, why don't you sit down?” Vowrawn gestured at the ground and sat down himself. Not knowing what he could do instead, Mace just followed his … request. At least it wasn't an order and being polite seemed to be the intelligent thing to do since he wasn't sure what this ghost would do to him otherwise. “So, I've been thinking. What is a young Padawan doing here in a tomb?”

“I think you know that best,” Mace replied. “You are the one always making me fall into it.”

Vowrawn smirked. “Guilty. I'm gonna rephrase that. What is a Padawan like you doing on this planet? You're the first visitor in … phew, ages?”

Mace stayed silent.

“Oh, come on, humour me. This Jedi stoicism was already getting old in my days.”

Mace sighed. He didn't have much of a choice, did he? “We are here to follow up on an old expedition.”

“We? I knew you were not here alone. Your Master somewhere around?”

Mace thought about lying for about a second until he recalled that he was a bad liar. “In camp. She's hurt.”

“In camp. That sounds like more than just a pair of Master and Padawan.” Vowrawn was shifting forms again. Maybe he was agitated? Mace wasn't sure.

“We are a few”, Mace answered carefully.

“So, you are not the only Padawan out there? Tell me, are you the only one with such talents?”

“I'm … closest to achieving knighthood.” He had to tread carefully. Something was off about these questions and he didn't like it.

“You are quite young to be knighted. At least you would have been in my days...” The ghost paused. “Who am I kidding? The Order has always been slow to change. You are still young. But then... you do have some potential.”

“So I have been told.”

Vowrawn made some kind of gagging noise. “Modest to a fault. Jedi really never change. Don't you feel the slightest bit of pride? You are close to knighthood and you're what? Eighteen? Sixteen? Others don't get knighted for at least three years, closer to five.”

Mace pondered the question for a moment, not sure how to answer. He had been prideful before and it had destroyed lives. “I am proud of my Master,” he finally said. “She raised me and made me realize my potential. Everything else... I've been born with it. Why should I be proud of that?”

“Are you for real?” Vowrawn shifted back into the old Sith. “You could be the greatest Jedi ever and you are happy with this? Come on, let me take you as an apprentice, I could make such a great Sith out of you, so much knowledge I could teach you. Damn, I could even make you such a great Jedi. Just … please don't just be happy with what you have achieved so far. That … that's painful to watch. You could be so much more, so much greater.”

Mace blinked in confusion. What was happening here? Had the Sith just said what he thought he had heard?

Vowrawn got up, wandering around agitatedly. “I mean... Look at you. You've got so much potential, such raw strength in the Force and I admit that your Master is not a bad one to get you this far, but you could go so much further. Maybe you won't be a Barsen'thor but trust me, that position is highly overrated. Met the Barsen'thor once and he was … worn out from his responsibilities. And maybe one or two very nasty Force rituals. But you could be a warden of the Order, their greatest warrior and the Order will need one. There are dark times ahead.” Vowrawn through his hands in the air. “It's just very frustrating seeing you. You are content with what little of your potential you have reached and it's so frustrating, very frustrating, I tell you. You could be great and you are content with being … alright. Listen to me, I am willing to teach you, even let you stay a Jedi if you have to, just … let me show you what you could become.”

Mace was still not sure what was going on. Vowrawn kept talking very fast and empathetically and Mace admitted to a certain temptation he felt but he wouldn't give in because whenever Sith were involved, things got bad. “...Why?”, he finally asked and interrupted the flow of words from Vowrawn' ethereal mouth.

Vowrawn looked at him. “I've been telling you.” Mace looked back. “Maybe I haven't been telling all of it, you got me there. Just, for one moment, try to see things from my perspective and try to understand.” Mace nodded. “So, let's imagine you are a very wise and old member of a former Dark Council, actually the oldest member of said Dark Council and still alive despite everything. You are wise and you know a lot about power but even more about the workings of the Force. Imagine that you died a rather … gruesome and badly timed death that kept you from some very important things... I'm digressing. Now imagine being dead for millennia and I mean that literally. I can't be sure exactly but I would bet that I'm dead for more than three. Imagine all this time spent with refining your knowledge of the Force and then … there's nobody to teach it to. No one who could acknowledge your accomplishments and your deep insights. That's been putting quite the damper on my mood, if you get my meaning. And then you stumble upon a young, talented, gifted Padawan who you could teach … Let's just say I'm even willing to turn Jedi and all if it means that I finally get to show someone all this knowledge because there's nothing worse than having so much to teach and no one to teach it to.” Mace still looked at the ghost. He felt there was something missing. “Also, I might be a bit bored.”

“You're bored?”

“Well, excuse me. Being a Force ghost is not all it's made out to be. The not dying part is nice but that's about it. Several thousand years can become very tiring very soon. And boring. So, yes, I'm looking for something to do and you're the best around here.” Vowrawn paused with a smirk on his lips. “Unless you want to show me to some other Padawan I could teach? Maybe that young Togruta?”

“No.”

“Then we got a deal.” Vowrawn beamed with … Mace wasn't sure that he would call it happiness but it most likely was. “You know what? I'll leave you to crawling out of this hole and you can sleep it over. I'm excited to hear your answer.”

Mace just felt tired. He had been falling down holes for days, had just been pressured into becoming a Sith apprentice by a ghost and he was getting to old for all this karking kriff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darth Vowrawn is a drama queen and we all know it. Who's not on board, should just play the Sith Warrior again and maybe take a look at this great comic. https://aemixx.deviantart.com/art/23-spoilers-Inappropriate-Vowrawn-433121939 (There's more in 30? I think)


End file.
